Ishmael

=Ishmael=

This page contains assignments and other materials related to our study of Daniel Quinn's novel //Ishmael//.



[ Need-to-knows ]

 * What is Ishmael's opinion of Mother Culture?
 * Why do we need to know about Mother Culture?
 * What is the Taker Thunderbolt?
 * Was it important that Walter Sokolow was Jewish? -- //Yes. This gives Ishmael a connection to WWII and the Nazis, which influences his view on captivity.//
 * Where is this story going? Where is Mr. Smith going with it?
 * What is the definition of Mother Culture?
 * How are we being lied to?
 * What is the narrator's background?
 * //In his forties//
 * //Was part of the hippie movement//
 * //...but is this really important?//
 * What is the author's purpose? What is his argument? What are his opinions? His intent? His inspiration?
 * How are Takers and Leavers related?
 * What does the narrator hope to learn from Ishmael?
 * How will one gorilla and one man save the world? (Does it need saving? Can it be saved?)
 * Why a gorilla?
 * //Closest to humans -- evolutionary connection//
 * //Intelligence//
 * //Perspective//
 * //More impressive due to size//
 * //Being in a zoo = captivity//
 * //Not too cute or too scary//
 * What does Ishmael dislike about humans?
 * Why no other people?
 * How does Ishmael know that the narrator is the right student?
 * How old is Ishmael?
 * Why is it taking longer for the narrator to understand?
 * What are Ishmael's religious beliefs?
 * How did Daniel Quinn think of the ideas for this book?
 * Will man control the world?
 * Why is Ishmael teaching?
 * How far is the narrator into this class?
 * Will the narrator finish? Will the truth come out?
 * What is the definition of culture?
 * Who are Ishmael's past students?
 * Is it possible this book is set in a world like //The Matrix//?
 * What (if anything) is wrong with humans?
 * Why did the narrator get so mad at the ad in the paper?
 * Why is the narrator interested in saving the world?
 * What is the relationship between Mother Culture and government?

[ Big Ideas ]

 * Man was made to control the earth (or so we think)
 * Takers exclude themselves from the peace-keeping law
 * We (humans) are not the only beings on earth
 * Our culture is controlled by stories
 * Something is wrong with humans
 * Mother Culture controls everything in our society
 * Captivity
 * Our "leave it for the next person" mentality is hurting the world
 * Humans are going to mess up and ultimately destroy the world
 * Agriculture
 * What Mother Culture is and what she teaches us
 * "How things came to be this way"
 * We are all in captivity, but we may not know it
 * There's more than one right way to live
 * Reasons for the world's demise -- it's mankind's fault
 * We are hurting our environment through our laziness
 * Takers and Leavers
 * A's, B's, and C's
 * Difference between civilized and primitive
 * Food chain (and natural laws) and how Takers have broken them
 * Peace-keeping law
 * Saving the world
 * Don't take life for granted

[ Supplemental Readings ]

 * [[file:mritsmith/TheApproximateSizeOfMyFavoriteTumor.pdf|"The Approximate Size of My Favorite Tumor"]] by Sherman Alexie (bio; official site)
 * "A Soldier Recalls the Trail of Tears" -- a letter from Private John G. Burnett to his children
 * "Cherokee Nation Faces Scrutiny for Expelling Blacks" (from NPR)

[ Projects and Assignments ]

 * Ishmael anticipation guide
 * World Saver Application
 * Mother Culture collage
 * Breaking the Law
 * Population Control Socratic Seminar
 * Big Idea readings
 * Ishmael key quotes
 * Ishmael essay assignment

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